Sen. Bernie Sanders dodged a question about whether Sen. Al Franken should resign after a Los Angeles TV and radio host accused the Minnesota Democrat of sexual misconduct this week.

"I think that's a decision for Al Franken and the people of the state of Minnesota," Sanders said when asked on CNN's "State of the Union" whether Franken should step down.

"My understanding is that Al is a very popular senator. People in Minnesota think that he is doing a good job. And his political future will rest with the people of Minnesota."

On Thursday, TV host Leeann Tweeden wrote that Franken once kissed and groped her without consent in 2006 when they were on a United Service Organizations tour to entertain military service members abroad.

Though Franken apologized and agreed to a Senate Ethics inquiry into his behavior, some progressive activists and left-leaning opinion writers called for the Minnesota senator to step down.

Democratic lawmakers and major affiliated groups have largely supported the call for an ethics investigation, but have refused to say whether Franken should resign.